| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) 20:45 - May 17 with 3389 views | MaySixth |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:40 - May 17 with 694 views | waveneyblue |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:32 - May 17 by Churchman |
In 2021 Gamechanger bought the club in the spring and appointed a CEO from June 1st. The manager was Paul Cook. We had no scouting network, a half set of floodlights, no reception, lightbulbs, community, organisation, nothing. What we had as a tired stadium, rusty seat runners and 20 year old training facility. Poor old LO’N doing everything.
At one of the early forums they were asked about domestic and foreign scouting as well as Cat 1. International scouting? Hardly. What we did was appropriate for where we were (L1) and nobody questioned that. It was obvious.
How could you in the summer of 2022 in L1 have produced a comprehensive scouting network just like that? Anything like that surely required thought, planning and timing like any project. The various work streams at the club were in early stages and that’s where recruitment, the hardest of all, was.
Thanks to Paul Cook, the owners and some great additions by McKenna, we had a team far too strong for L1. But was it possible to immediately parachute in a proper domestic and international scouting network? Our recruitment was limited to reinforcements in January and the outcome made it the right decision.
2024/5? Were we really expected to have a network as effective as just about any other Premier club with the smallest budget, including Leicester and Southampton? Not realistic. They tried with some success and some failures.
So where are we now? After the last two seasons and so much achieved and hopefully learned, we should be in a better recruitment position and a plan should be in place. But it won’t be perfect and we are competing in the big boy league.
I don’t think recruitment has been cr@p. It’s been mixed just as one would expect. Timescales? I don’t know what a Premier League recruiting system should look like so I’ll defer that to those who know, but on pure feeling my guess is that’s more structured and professional than it was.
This club is being rebuilt almost from scratch and it’s what happens now that matters.
As for people who say ‘I wouldn’t trust Ashton with a penny’ they clearly know far more about the current recruitment process than I do and perhaps could explain it. Secondly, if we are back to knuckle dragging Bristol City ‘fact’ of ‘Ashton signings’, please could they say why they want to sign off recruitment and how the the top of the club structure should look. |
Well said sir 👏 |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:42 - May 17 with 690 views | BlueBadger |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 21:14 - May 17 by waveneyblue |
At a guess I would imagine he is very very happy about that last line.
I would be |
What an odd thing to say. [Post edited 17 May 22:45]
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:44 - May 17 with 673 views | Chris_ITFC |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 20:56 - May 17 by FrimleyBlue |
Whilst you jest
This summer will be quite an interesting insight really into our recruitment set up and its ability to compete at an Elite level
It's one thing spending money and buying the better players for champ and league 1, but we've had one attempt so far with the prem recruitment which wasn't the best.
We've had 5 years now to sort out the recruitment set up behind the scenes.
This window will be interesting |
One attempt at the Premier League… one season after being in League One!
I actually think we made a bloody good fist of it, and bought very sensibly, seeing as we’ve just got back there at the first time of asking, and basically had zero chance of realistically staying up. |  |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:45 - May 17 with 671 views | Chris_ITFC |
If all the failed signings are Ashton’s fault, who are we crediting with all the successes? I assume someone completely different?
It shows how little people understand about football if they think the CEO identifies the players we sign. Or maybe they just have an axe to grind… | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:50 - May 17 with 658 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:32 - May 17 by Churchman |
In 2021 Gamechanger bought the club in the spring and appointed a CEO from June 1st. The manager was Paul Cook. We had no scouting network, a half set of floodlights, no reception, lightbulbs, community, organisation, nothing. What we had as a tired stadium, rusty seat runners and 20 year old training facility. Poor old LO’N doing everything.
At one of the early forums they were asked about domestic and foreign scouting as well as Cat 1. International scouting? Hardly. What we did was appropriate for where we were (L1) and nobody questioned that. It was obvious.
How could you in the summer of 2022 in L1 have produced a comprehensive scouting network just like that? Anything like that surely required thought, planning and timing like any project. The various work streams at the club were in early stages and that’s where recruitment, the hardest of all, was.
Thanks to Paul Cook, the owners and some great additions by McKenna, we had a team far too strong for L1. But was it possible to immediately parachute in a proper domestic and international scouting network? Our recruitment was limited to reinforcements in January and the outcome made it the right decision.
2024/5? Were we really expected to have a network as effective as just about any other Premier club with the smallest budget, including Leicester and Southampton? Not realistic. They tried with some success and some failures.
So where are we now? After the last two seasons and so much achieved and hopefully learned, we should be in a better recruitment position and a plan should be in place. But it won’t be perfect and we are competing in the big boy league.
I don’t think recruitment has been cr@p. It’s been mixed just as one would expect. Timescales? I don’t know what a Premier League recruiting system should look like so I’ll defer that to those who know, but on pure feeling my guess is that’s more structured and professional than it was.
This club is being rebuilt almost from scratch and it’s what happens now that matters.
As for people who say ‘I wouldn’t trust Ashton with a penny’ they clearly know far more about the current recruitment process than I do and perhaps could explain it. Secondly, if we are back to knuckle dragging Bristol City ‘fact’ of ‘Ashton signings’, please could they say why they want to sign off recruitment and how the the top of the club structure should look. |
Firstly just on your final paragraph, I've restrained from talking about Ashton directly my point was more about the overall set up not him individually so im hoping that was aimed at the OP rather than my contributions in this thread?
But going through your reply, I agree with many points, but I feel the first paragraph kinda shows a sign of a delay in thoughts when it came to off pitch recruitment, Ashton early on didn't see the benefits of cat 1, it wasn't a then situation, it was discussed at the time as an overall thing and he at that point talked about some clubs who don't do it and the benefits of not having it, subsequently we've gone back on that which is great for us as a club as I do think clubs need cat 1 but i think it shows at the time we just simply didn't look at anything that wasn't simply on the pitch.
But back to the recruitment point, I think many are assuming getting a recruitment set up going means sending out scouts or holding them in all countries world wide, I wasn't and am not saying that, but our recruitment team itself just didn't seem to take off, and it took 11 months of the new ownership before we brought in a new head of recruitment and that was an first team recruitment analyst to head up our recruitment.
with that the data aspect leading to us using the same as Brighton's, resulting in us having pretty much no data base to utilise when we did go up and 5 years on, I don't feel the town has an identity in which you could say that is our recruitment plan. Even when discussed the 'type' of player we needed to recruit, we never actually did it. I appreciate the speed of which our promotions have come about but I don't think you can say we've had an actual recruitment identity.
Again i've not said it's been crap overall, it's been mixed, some poor in some positions, some great in others. I will be interested to see if we have indeed managed to get away and have our own data strategy in place, or if we are still restricted with the brighton one.
Our recruitment team still looks quite small, but im hopefull we'll see some more additions on that team this summer. |  |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:50 - May 17 with 658 views | waveneyblue |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:42 - May 17 by BlueBadger |
What an odd thing to say. [Post edited 17 May 22:45]
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Why ?
It was quite self explanatory | | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:52 - May 17 with 649 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:44 - May 17 by Chris_ITFC |
One attempt at the Premier League… one season after being in League One!
I actually think we made a bloody good fist of it, and bought very sensibly, seeing as we’ve just got back there at the first time of asking, and basically had zero chance of realistically staying up. |
We purchased with promotion this season in mind yes, but i think we're all hoping that;s not the strategy this summer. | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:56 - May 17 with 654 views | BlueBadger |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:50 - May 17 by waveneyblue |
Why ?
It was quite self explanatory |
Really? Explain it to me like I'm five. Why WOULD Mark Ashton be pleased to be thought of as liar who cosies up to traitorous fascist grifters? | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 00:27 - May 18 with 607 views | Churchman |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:50 - May 17 by FrimleyBlue |
Firstly just on your final paragraph, I've restrained from talking about Ashton directly my point was more about the overall set up not him individually so im hoping that was aimed at the OP rather than my contributions in this thread?
But going through your reply, I agree with many points, but I feel the first paragraph kinda shows a sign of a delay in thoughts when it came to off pitch recruitment, Ashton early on didn't see the benefits of cat 1, it wasn't a then situation, it was discussed at the time as an overall thing and he at that point talked about some clubs who don't do it and the benefits of not having it, subsequently we've gone back on that which is great for us as a club as I do think clubs need cat 1 but i think it shows at the time we just simply didn't look at anything that wasn't simply on the pitch.
But back to the recruitment point, I think many are assuming getting a recruitment set up going means sending out scouts or holding them in all countries world wide, I wasn't and am not saying that, but our recruitment team itself just didn't seem to take off, and it took 11 months of the new ownership before we brought in a new head of recruitment and that was an first team recruitment analyst to head up our recruitment.
with that the data aspect leading to us using the same as Brighton's, resulting in us having pretty much no data base to utilise when we did go up and 5 years on, I don't feel the town has an identity in which you could say that is our recruitment plan. Even when discussed the 'type' of player we needed to recruit, we never actually did it. I appreciate the speed of which our promotions have come about but I don't think you can say we've had an actual recruitment identity.
Again i've not said it's been crap overall, it's been mixed, some poor in some positions, some great in others. I will be interested to see if we have indeed managed to get away and have our own data strategy in place, or if we are still restricted with the brighton one.
Our recruitment team still looks quite small, but im hopefull we'll see some more additions on that team this summer. |
My post is less of a reply to you and more about perspective and time.
Apologies, my job means that I tend to look at something like this through a programme/project perspective. My final job was on something that is still rather newsworthy and was unimaginably complex. Rebuilding a football club is nowhere near that but it is still a programme of projects involving £millions and 100s of people let alone media stuff.
When you work on a programme of projects, after a certain number, the actual volume doesn’t matter. Some will come in on time, to budget, some will need additional funding, some might need winding up for various reasons, some re scoping, some over budget or buffeted by external factors etc etc.
To drill it down it’s the old bullsht bingo cliche of plan, do, review. That applies to ITFCs efforts in the past five years, the future and its recruitment.
I certainly thing that two years ago it was hope over expectation. Promotion felt out of kilter with where we were as a club. But even so, while not all bad by any means, I very much doubt recruitment went as well as they’d have liked.
However it’s such an inexact science and given what happened two weeks ago, there’s an opportunity for the club to do better on that front this time and I think the greater stability of structure in the club means they will.
Optimistic? Of course, but there’s a few months for me to dive into pessimism so I’ll enjoy the happy now. |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 00:36 - May 18 with 605 views | armchaircritic59 |
Could it actually be that MA doesn't actually do the literal recruitment list of possibilities, the recruitment team do it ( quell surprise! ), the list gets passed on to KM, who says yes or no ( as per the striker nonsense of January ) and then MA gets down to the wheeling/dealing. MA should be nowhere near the basic choosing of transfer targets, he's a CEO/Chairman, not a recruitment officer. I seriously hope that's how it works, as it damn well should do. I doubt KM tells MA how to do his day job. |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 04:03 - May 18 with 567 views | Benters |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 21:10 - May 17 by BlueBadger |
You want Ashton out because you think he buys bad players.
I want Ashton out because he cosies up to traitorous fascist grifters and lies about it.
We are not the same. |
Praise the Lord for the last line of your post. |  |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 04:06 - May 18 with 566 views | Benters |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:45 - May 17 by Chris_ITFC |
If all the failed signings are Ashton’s fault, who are we crediting with all the successes? I assume someone completely different?
It shows how little people understand about football if they think the CEO identifies the players we sign. Or maybe they just have an axe to grind… |
Well said. | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 07:40 - May 18 with 510 views | victorysquad |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 20:56 - May 17 by FrimleyBlue |
Whilst you jest
This summer will be quite an interesting insight really into our recruitment set up and its ability to compete at an Elite level
It's one thing spending money and buying the better players for champ and league 1, but we've had one attempt so far with the prem recruitment which wasn't the best.
We've had 5 years now to sort out the recruitment set up behind the scenes.
This window will be interesting |
I don”t think it has been sorted out for a long time. We have hired some people in the last 3-6 months, who may or may not be the right people. Also on the data side of things there is no evidence to suggest we have the capability to build anything like what Brighton have… yet
Hopefully the are using ai to speed up build time and execution of a recruitment plan |  |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 07:44 - May 18 with 500 views | redrickstuhaart |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:01 - May 17 by grow_our_own |
Bournemouth came almost straight from L1. Spent two seasons in the Champ and have been Prem almost ever since 2015. Fast recruitment improvement can be achieved. Under Ashton, we had two very poor windows in summer 2024 & winter 24/25. He's yet to prove he can handle the pressure as the stakes get higher. Combined with the massive discord he caused this season, that's enough reason for the owners to find new day-to-day leadership IMO. |
We have no clue how much influence he has in recruitment. This ridiculous line, still borrowing from bitter Bristol fans, is based on nothing of substance. Time to stop. | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 08:04 - May 18 with 475 views | Libero |
Just keep him away full stop- ASHTON OUT. |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 08:19 - May 18 with 458 views | lurcher |
Have we done badly with transfers, I would say no. We have developed a huge squad value and have made a net profit in our dealings, if you factor in the previous Premier league advance. Not all transfers work out but our business has always delivered enough quality to meet our promotion goals. The Premier league season was an impossible task, we could never stay up. But we have done well getting back at the first time of asking. [Post edited 18 May 8:21]
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 08:38 - May 18 with 430 views | waveneyblue |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 22:56 - May 17 by BlueBadger |
Really? Explain it to me like I'm five. Why WOULD Mark Ashton be pleased to be thought of as liar who cosies up to traitorous fascist grifters? |
That quite clearly wasnt what I was referring to, as you well know. | | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 09:10 - May 18 with 400 views | Churchman |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 00:36 - May 18 by armchaircritic59 |
Could it actually be that MA doesn't actually do the literal recruitment list of possibilities, the recruitment team do it ( quell surprise! ), the list gets passed on to KM, who says yes or no ( as per the striker nonsense of January ) and then MA gets down to the wheeling/dealing. MA should be nowhere near the basic choosing of transfer targets, he's a CEO/Chairman, not a recruitment officer. I seriously hope that's how it works, as it damn well should do. I doubt KM tells MA how to do his day job. |
That’s how I understand it. If people know different please correct me. I’d also be interested to know what size a recruitment team should be, its structure and how and where it operates. It’s something I’m ignorant on.
I believe the club at the start operated on Cook’s likes and contacts and Ashton doing all the legwork. There wasn’t anybody else. Not even an ffing receptionist, such is how much the club had been hollowed out.
As CEO of a growing club structured with different departments doing different things, I’d hope that the Recruitment Team did all the work and he was there to sign off with KM and whoever is responsible for the loot to the owners (finance wallah). If not he’s being paid a heck of a lot of money to be recruitment man. | | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 09:21 - May 18 with 386 views | itfcsuth |
Don't think he'll be involved at all with identifying players, not his remit, not his strength.
He'll be involved with the numbers though, as a CEO, you'd expect him to be. |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 09:46 - May 18 with 358 views | dirtyboy |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 09:21 - May 18 by itfcsuth |
Don't think he'll be involved at all with identifying players, not his remit, not his strength.
He'll be involved with the numbers though, as a CEO, you'd expect him to be. |
And not overpay or leave the club open to catastrophes on the pitch.
Spurs, who have an insane budget and facilities nearly found themselves in the Championship.
It would be very naive of Ashton not to consider our position playing in that division next year when buying players and what we're prepared to spend.
Identify (swathes of data to sift through, massive resources, database that will take ages to build)
Scout (picking the right ones to throw actual people at)
Get through the door (first difficult stage, but with all the upgrades about, will be easier)
Sign (agents make this insanely difficult)
The processes and people involved in the above will have changed immeasurably over the past 4.5 years and like anything, it takes time to build a team that's trusted and aligned on or off the pitch. |  | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 10:54 - May 18 with 314 views | braveblue |
Nonsense | | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 11:00 - May 18 with 306 views | itfcsuth |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 09:46 - May 18 by dirtyboy |
And not overpay or leave the club open to catastrophes on the pitch.
Spurs, who have an insane budget and facilities nearly found themselves in the Championship.
It would be very naive of Ashton not to consider our position playing in that division next year when buying players and what we're prepared to spend.
Identify (swathes of data to sift through, massive resources, database that will take ages to build)
Scout (picking the right ones to throw actual people at)
Get through the door (first difficult stage, but with all the upgrades about, will be easier)
Sign (agents make this insanely difficult)
The processes and people involved in the above will have changed immeasurably over the past 4.5 years and like anything, it takes time to build a team that's trusted and aligned on or off the pitch. |
The financial snapshot of the deals are what Ashton can only be accountable for, the actual identifying of players you can't really (other than appointing the correct people in the recruitment department).
We are as a club better prepared for life in the PL, and that has to be reflected in the squad we put together this summer, whilst I don't expect us to be competing for Champions League football, to go in with anything other than genuine belief we can stay is the division, and building a squad that way this summer would be inexcusable for me.
It felt like we built for the Championship last time, that 'plan' has all worked out, but we now have had substantial time to build and prepare for Premier League this time. [Post edited 18 May 11:01]
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 12:32 - May 18 with 255 views | darkhorse28 |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 20:51 - May 17 by Chris_ITFC |
Agreed, too much mediocrity. We should’ve been promoted FOUR times in four years if you ask me. |
Levels.
You forgot about spending £200 million for our worst season in the clubs history.
I’d say that’s at least equally as instructive for success in the premier league as finishing 1 point ahead of Millwall and behind Plymouth.
Much more instructive .., McKenna is a great coach, Ashton loves a deal and recruited McKenna - I’m not sure how much evidence you need after £200 million spent that neither are elite at talent id.
But their own measure they spent £70 million on wide right oakhers not good enough.
Everyone can see we might have ONE player good enough and through that recruitment, our competition, Leeds, Sunderland, Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth - they all signed world class talent for less investment.
Brighton reserves are better than us, West Han are TWO levels above us, that’s where we are.
Name the players that you know are premier league - I have only one, and that’s not certain, most of them have already failed at that level, and didn’t stand out this season either.
It’s time to stop being so deluded .., Marks record is 37 years long.
ZERO years of success at this level - not one.
That’s not an accident. A blip. A fluke. It’s where he’s at. | | | |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 13:10 - May 18 with 224 views | Chris_ITFC |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 12:32 - May 18 by darkhorse28 |
Levels.
You forgot about spending £200 million for our worst season in the clubs history.
I’d say that’s at least equally as instructive for success in the premier league as finishing 1 point ahead of Millwall and behind Plymouth.
Much more instructive .., McKenna is a great coach, Ashton loves a deal and recruited McKenna - I’m not sure how much evidence you need after £200 million spent that neither are elite at talent id.
But their own measure they spent £70 million on wide right oakhers not good enough.
Everyone can see we might have ONE player good enough and through that recruitment, our competition, Leeds, Sunderland, Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth - they all signed world class talent for less investment.
Brighton reserves are better than us, West Han are TWO levels above us, that’s where we are.
Name the players that you know are premier league - I have only one, and that’s not certain, most of them have already failed at that level, and didn’t stand out this season either.
It’s time to stop being so deluded .., Marks record is 37 years long.
ZERO years of success at this level - not one.
That’s not an accident. A blip. A fluke. It’s where he’s at. |
Yes, we’re definitely behind Plymouth and (two levels?!) behind West Ham. Remind me, which leagues are they in next season?
Talk about clutching at straws. Dredging up Plymouth got me good…  | |
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| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 13:39 - May 18 with 195 views | Churchman |
| Please keep Mark Ashton away from recruitment (n/t) on 12:32 - May 18 by darkhorse28 |
Levels.
You forgot about spending £200 million for our worst season in the clubs history.
I’d say that’s at least equally as instructive for success in the premier league as finishing 1 point ahead of Millwall and behind Plymouth.
Much more instructive .., McKenna is a great coach, Ashton loves a deal and recruited McKenna - I’m not sure how much evidence you need after £200 million spent that neither are elite at talent id.
But their own measure they spent £70 million on wide right oakhers not good enough.
Everyone can see we might have ONE player good enough and through that recruitment, our competition, Leeds, Sunderland, Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth - they all signed world class talent for less investment.
Brighton reserves are better than us, West Han are TWO levels above us, that’s where we are.
Name the players that you know are premier league - I have only one, and that’s not certain, most of them have already failed at that level, and didn’t stand out this season either.
It’s time to stop being so deluded .., Marks record is 37 years long.
ZERO years of success at this level - not one.
That’s not an accident. A blip. A fluke. It’s where he’s at. |
Attached to help you is the transfer breakdown of 24/25. The net figure was £150m
https://www.transfermarkt.co.u
I suggest you round it up to £350m. It’ll sound better
From the same source Sunderland spent net (after the enforced Bellingham sale) £213m
Leeds spent net £103m, but let’s not forget they’d been in the PL recently, had retained a lot of their players and had a Premier Leagure infrastructure to boot.
Please tell me when our first team played Brighton reserves. Must have missed it. West Ham two levels above. Really? They must have put the kids out yesterday when they got the runaround by an average Newcastle team in their other league one level above.
As for Plymouth, yes we did finish behind them in League 1. Excellent weren’t they. I thought they had a great season and it’s pleasing to see how they as a club have come on since then. Really impressive.
Millwall - good team. Organised, picked up some good players and deserved to be promoted. Pity they won’t be.
Still, your lot had a great second half to the season. I hope you feel better now after my lot gave them the runaround at Carrow Rd. Still, there’s always next year. On the ball City!
No need to respond - you are back on ignore. Be happy! | | | |
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